Draco Malfoy
by Myrtle
Summary: Draco is a Death Eater, but he doesn't want to be. Hermione finds out. Draco/Hermione romance (I think)
1. Chapter One

1: At Hogwarts Draco Malfoy sat in a corner of the Slytherin common room. His sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle were, as usual, in the Great Hall, eating. Not that Draco particularly minded. Ever since he had returned to Hogwarts from the summer he had wanted someone to have a n intelligent conversation with. So much had happened to him in that summer holidays, within the first week he had met.Master, for the first time, and accepted the Dark Mark. He had never expected to be a Death Eater by the age of fifteen. When he was younger he had always thought he would when he was older, had left school, but not now. You see, Draco didn't really want to be a Death Eater. He was cruel, but intelligent too, and he had no intentions of sitting in a stone cell in Azkaban for the rest of his life. But what alternative did he have? Death. What could he do to resist? Nothing. He couldn't stop.Master, that was what he had to call Voldemort now. it was humiliating! A young wizard of his position and wealth should not be reduced to grovelling and worshipping!  
  
Looking out of the window, with distaste, Draco saw Potter, Weasley and the mudblood, Granger walking around the lake. He raised his eyebrows and rolled his icy grey eyes.  
  
**************  
  
It was the first week of the summer holidays. Draco Malfoy had been told by his father that they were going out, he didn't like to ask questions, and his mother, Narcissa was used to Lucius disappearing for something dark and illegal. Draco and Lucius Malfoy flew for hours on their Nimbus two- thousand-and-one broomsticks, over what appeared to be the middle of nowhere, until Lucius pulled sharply into a steep dive, and Draco followed him. They landed in a forest and Lucius started looking around, for someone. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Ah, Lucius, you're late" said a harsh, icy voice. It was him  
  
"Master!" Lucius Malfoy bowed. Draco didn't want to, but he knew he should bow anyway, so he did.  
  
"So this is young Mr Malfoy, I presume."  
  
"Yes Master"  
  
"And, Draco Malfoy, I believe you are keen to become a Death Eater." Draco was speechless. He had never expected this, but he wasn't so stupid as to refuse and be killed.  
  
"Yes.Master." He mumbled  
  
"Good! The boy is learning. Malfoy, come here." Both Lucius and Draco Malfoy began to move towards Voldemort. "No, not you boy!" Lucius Malfoy flinched as Voldemort's long white finger pressed the Mark on his left wrist. Within the next few minutes Death Eaters were apparating everywhere, including Draco's potions teacher and head of house, Severus Snape. When all the Death Eaters had arrived and formed a circle Voldemort spoke again. "We have a new recruit. This is Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy's son. The initiation will begin." He turned to face Draco. "Do you swear to work for me, Lord Voldemort and to risk imprisonment or even death in my service?" This was the crucial moment. Draco could say no and die, or say yes and live. Well, what would you have done?  
  
"Yes Master" Voldemort moved towards him and touched his wrist lightly with his icy fingers. As he pressed harder Draco's wrist began to burn and sting. When Voldemort removed his hand Draco collapsed onto his knees clutching his wrist, but Voldemort ignored this, and carried on talking.  
  
"You are now marked as a Death Eater. There can be no turning back at this stage. We will meet again, when I require your services." The Death Eaters began to disapparate, except for Draco and his father. Draco looked at the underside of his left wrist. there was now a mark, a skull with a snake poking out of the jaw, like a tongue. The Dark Mark. Draco felt sick. He was a Death Eater now. If he was caught by the Ministry he would be sent to Azkaban, it was concrete proof, of what he was.  
  
In silence Draco and his father flew back to Malfoy Manor. Draco sighed and then decided to walk down to the Great Hall to look for Crabbe and Goyle. On the way along the corridor he bumped into Hermione Granger.  
  
"Watch it, Granger." He scowled. She looked up defiantly and Draco saw that her eyes were red from crying.  
  
"Why don't you, Malfoy?" She pronounced his name as if it was a disgusting swear word, a curse, a disease. This annoyed Draco. How could she, a mudblood, answer him back! The castle, Hogwarts, was built by wizards, for wizards. The Malfoy's had been attending the school for centuries, whereas Granger wasn't even a real witch. he felt this gave him all the rights and power.  
  
"Don't talk to me like that, you filthy little mudblood. Your kind don't belong at Hogwarts. He had gone too far. Hermione slapped him round the face and he lifted his left hand to his red cheek his robe sleeve slipped down and she saw what was on his left wrist. She gasped.  
  
"Is that.." she avoided even saying it. "Is that.what I think it is?" Draco was ashamed and strangely embarrassed, but he couldn't help arguing with Granger. It was just habit.  
  
"That depends what you think it is." he replied.  
  
"The Dark Mark." she whispered. Draco nodded. "I hate you!" she shrieked. "You're trying to kill Harry! I won't let you!" she fumbled in her robe pockets and pointed her wand at Draco. Draco just laughed.  
  
"Honestly Granger, surely you can't be that naïve. Didn't you guess that Master would have taught me some curses.like the Unforgivables" He grinned and twirled his wand elegantly between his finger. Then he stopped, caught his wand, and held it to Hermione's head. "I could kill you Granger. You'd be dead before your body touched the floor, and I'd be well away before anyone found you. But I won't kill you, because I don't have any real power, even holding this wand here, poised to kill you, I can't do it. I can't kill you without Master's permission. I am not in control of my life, or yours. He is." Draco lowered his wand, and put it in his pocket, then he just walked away.  
  
"Goodbye Draco." Hermione called after him. She had never seen Draco like this before. She understood him. He wasn't how he was out of choice, but by terror and forced obedience. She felt sorry for him, and wanted to be able to help him. She always liked tragic, mysterious people, so much that she almost wanted people to have sad, dark secrets so she could help them! Like her Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in her third year.he was a werewolf, and she had kept his secret for months. But when the boy was Draco Malfoy.? 


	2. Chapter Two

Part 2: Sort of Friends Hermione Granger was sitting at a table in the library, reading. Draco Malfoy was wandering up and down rows and rows of books, looking. He wanted a book about Death Eaters, and what happens to them when they get caught. He was sure he would be caught, and he wanted to know how long he's be locked up for. He didn't think Granger would tell anyone. He found an appropriate looking book (Voldemort and his Death Eaters- The Full Story). He looked for somewhere to sit down, but the only table with any seats left was the table where Hermione was sitting.  
  
"Mind if I sit here?" he asked.  
  
"No. That's fine" she replied. Draco sat down opposite her. He didn't look too happy, so she asked "How are you?"  
  
"I'm OK, I cope. You?"  
  
"Forget me! I'm fine. But you.I mean, you said you didn't want to." She hesitated, not exactly sure what to say. She reached out and rolled back the sleeve of his robe, and looked at the Mark. "You don't want.this. Do you?"  
  
"No." He replied "I don't. But I don't have any choice. There's no way out now, unless I end up in Azkaban, which I probably will. One thing leads to another, you see. And the first thing I couldn't help, being born into the Malfoy family. I suppose, though it sounds stupid coming from me, I'm not bad enough to be one of them. I hate the killing. I only had to do it once, but it made me realise why everyone hates Voldemort so much."  
  
It was the second time the Mark had burned on Draco's wrist, calling him to Voldemort. The first time he had just been going over curses with Draco to check that he knew them all, and was capable of using them. The second time all the Death Eaters were there, and they were attacking a family of muggles, just for fun. It was OK at first, they had them under the Imperius curse, and were making them do stupid things. the Death Eaters were shouting to each other and laughing. That was no problem, until Voldemort gave the order to kill. Draco's victim was a small boy, who only looked about five, so why should Draco kill him? he didn't want to, but everyone else had done, and they were all looking at him. he had to do it. he pointed his wand and shouted  
  
"Avada Kedavra" The boy fell to the floor, dead, and Draco collapsed, exhausted, and dizzy. he had killed someone.  
  
"Oh Draco, isn't there anything I.you.someone can do? Tell Dumbledore?"  
  
"You must be joking! Tell Dumbledore? I'd be expelled, or sent to Azkaban! Don't tell anyone, Hermione!"  
  
"Mmmmm." She nodded.  
  
Five minutes later Hermione was muttering the password ('phoenix feathers') to the fat lady portrait, and entering the Griffindor common room. She sat down on an armchair near Harry and Ron and said,  
  
"If someone knew someone had done something wrong, but they didn't mean to, someone made them, and they were afraid to tell someone, what should they do.?" She was careful not to mention Draco Malfoy. Harry looked blank.  
  
"What? Can you say that again, is it a joke?" Hermione sighed, annoyed.  
  
"Boys! Anyway, if someone knew someone who had done something wrong, but didn't mean to, someone made them, and Draco was-" She stopped suddenly, realising what she had just said. She should have been more careful. She cursed under her breath.  
  
"There were dirty words coming out of your mouth then, young lady." Ron said, jokingly, but Harry was more concerned with the serious matters.  
  
"Draco? Draco Malfoy? What's he been saying to you?" 


	3. Chapter Three

3. The next Hogsmeade weekend:  
  
Hermione sat reading a book, at a bench outside the shop she'd just bought it from. Harry and Ron weren't speaking to her again, though Ron kept looking at her, as if he thought she should apologise. He looked like he was in pain every time he glanced at her. She had decided to go to Hogsmeade, even though she had no-one to go with. Everyone else was going to Hogsmeade, and she would have been left on her own, besides, it was a lovely day. She didn't think about any of this, she was totally engrossed in her book.  
  
The bench creaked to her right, and she glanced up. The first thing she saw was a flash of bright blond hair, and as she focused on him, she saw grey eyes, and a slight smile.  
  
"Draco?" she said, confused. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, it is the Hogsmeade weekend, Granger."  
  
She breathed out heavily through her nose and smiled, which was almost a laugh, from her. "No, I mean, what are you doing here-on this bench-talking to me. You're a Slytherin. I'm a Griffindor."  
  
"Does it bother you that much?" Draco paused. "Don't answer. Anyway, I wanted to thank you."  
  
"What?!" This was the last thing Hermione had expected. Wanting to kill her, maybe, but thank her? "Why?"  
  
Draco shrugged, and smiled. He seemed a lot more relaxed than last time she had seen him. "For telling Dumbledore. I know, I told you not to, but really, it helped. A lot."  
  
"Really?" said Hermione, trying not to sound too pleased with herself.  
  
"Yes. I mean, I felt like everything in my life was so messed up I'd never be able to sort it out. Dumbledore made it all seem OK. He said I should do nothing. He says he doesn't want me risking my life by openly going against Mast-Voldemort. He says I don't have to spy either. He said that I can tell him things if I want to, but if I don't he understands. Now see why everyone likes him, except us Slytherins of course."  
  
They smiled, and Hermione was vaguely conscious of the thought 'No! Why am I doing this?' Popping into her head, as they kissed.  
  
"Ugh, stupid PDAs," Harry muttered to Ron, as he walked past the bench. Ron gave a quick glance in the direction of the bench, and Hermione and Draco.  
  
"Hermione!?" he gaped. Harry turned around, and looked at the couple again. His jaw dropped.  
  
"Oh my god, it is."  
  
Hermione and Draco had already stopped kissing and were looking at Harry and Ron. Hermione looked dazed, and sort of apologetic, but Draco had his chin up high, and a relaxed smile on his face, one side of his face golden in the warm sunlight, and the other side dark and shadowed. Hermione thought this reflected his personality perfectly. Warm, happy, bright,- dark, mysterious, evil.  
  
Ron blanched, and his lips moved, forming the words 'Draco-Hermione-No, oh no' but no sound came out. He took a few deep breaths. "I've got to go to Zonko's Harry. See you." He turned quickly, and walked as briskly as possible away from them.  
  
"Hermione." Harry said, before he was interrupted by Hermione-  
  
"Yes, I know he's a Slytherin, and I know I'm not supposed to have anything to do with them, but it's not up to you. I'm trying to help him. It might surprise you that when I spoke to him the first time, I had no intention of kissing him. It just, happened."  
  
"I'm not bothered about the Slytherin/Gryffindor thing." Harry paused. "Well, actually I am. Very bothered. But it's Ron I'm worried about."  
  
"Ron? This has just as little to do with Ron as it has to do with you." Said Hermione, puzzled.  
  
"It's upsetting him, a lot. The way you totally ignore him, as if it isn't obvious that he." Now it was Hermione and Draco's turn to stare.  
  
"Forget I told you that. I shouldn't have told you that." Harry said, and walked off.  
  
"Oh, oh."  
  
Hermione and Draco sat still, not knowing what to do next. After an awkward silence, Draco leaned forwards, and started kissing Hermione again. She slid away from him, to the far left of the bench.  
  
"No. Draco, I need to think." She dropped her head into her hands, heavily, hair swinging round and covering her face.  
  
"Why do Weasley's feelings affect anything." Draco enquired coldly. Seeing Hermione's expression, he added, "To us I mean. If you had known from the start that Weasl- uh- Ron had a crush on you, you wouldn't have chosen him over me, would you?"  
  
"No!" Hermione said, laughing at the thought that anyone would choose Ron when they could have Draco. "But he's my friend. I don't want to hurt him. Or Harry."  
  
Draco just rolled his eyes. Though things were much better now, he still had a lot to live with. There were the owls from his father, always keeping him informed of what was going on in the Death Eater meetings he couldn't go to, and knowing that the Slytherins would hate him, probably more than the Gryffindors would hate Hermione, for being with a muggle-born Gryffindor. He didn't say any of this to Hermione. They talked about almost everything else, after that. Then as the sun started to set and teachers started to check round Hogsmeade for the last students, they got up and walked back, holding hands. Professor McGonagall saw them together, and practically had a fit. Hermione and Draco spluttered with laugher, and ran. 


	4. Chapter Four

4. It was difficult for Hermione to talk to Draco, because people kept following her and staring. Since the Hogsmeade weekend, the news had travelled fast, and now most people in the school knew what had happened. The Ravenclaws stared at her probingly, as if they were trying to work out why anyone would want to kiss Malfoy, for he was hated by everyone, except the other Slytherins. Most Slytherins didn't even bother to insult her any more. It was Draco who they turned their attention towards now. Compared to his crime, Hermione was perfectly OK. Although they hated muggle-borns they felt it was worse for a Slytherin to be, if indeed they understood the word, in [b]love[/b] with a 'mudblood' Gryffindor. It was at the hands of her friends, the other Gryffindors, that Hermione suffered the most.  
  
Ron avoided her, and Harry was on Ron's side, as usual, so neither of them were speaking to her. Most of the other Gryffindors looked to him as their leader. He was the quidditch captain, and although Hermione was the house prefect, she had never been as popular as Harry. Now nearly everyone in Gryffindor wanted nothing to do with her. Whenever Neville saw her he looked sympathetic, but at the same time, terrified of her. Of course, he had always been scared of Draco. Most of the girls just giggled and muttered to each other, when they saw her. They spoke very quietly, but Hermione could normally make out a few words.  
  
'Never thought she'd..' 'Malfoy...He [i]is[/i] good-looking I suppose, but all the same...' 'Do you think they've, done [i]it[/i]?'  
  
"No." said Hermione loudly on this occasion. "No we haven't. This is only the 5th year you know. Is that all you can think about? There are more important things." (AN: Aha! You thought she was about to lunch into the whole 'Friendship and bravery and, oh, be careful' speech. Didn't you? Didn't you?)  
  
Then she stormed past them into corridor, and they just shrugged and stared, surprised at her outburst. Mostly she just attempted to ignore everyone and went around on her own.  
  
Draco was normally alone as well. He had always been one of the more popular Slytherins, with his own house, and one of the least liked with other people. Hermione didn't talk to him all week, because although they were generally alone, she felt as if they were being watched, and sure enough, there were usually some other Slytherins or Gryffindors not far behind, making comments if they so much as smiled at one another. Therefore, they didn't get to talk to each other properly until the weekend. Most students, although it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, were outside. The weather still looked like summer, although it was the beginning of November. It was slightly chilly, but when the air was still, the sun was quite warm. Hermione, as usual, was on her own, in the library. This was exactly where Draco expected to find her.  
  
He opened the door, and glanced around quickly. Thankfully there were no other Slytherins or Gryffindors in the library. He walked briskly across to where she was sitting, and sat down opposite her. She didn't look up from her book, and he started drumming his fingers on the table, grinning broadly as she looked up, smiling.  
  
"Hi Draco." She said, quietly. "How are you?"  
  
"Fine. Don't worry about me, I can cope with them. What about you? I know you got pretty stressed with everything last year. I don't suppose you can turn Potter into a beetle, and put him in a jar, can you?"  
  
"I'm OK. And no, I can't."  
  
Draco wanted to kiss her again. However, he wasn't sure that the library was the best place. Madam Pince was already staring at them curiously.  
  
"Come on. Lets go." He whispered to her, and they got up, and walked past Madam Pince's desk, smiling 'innocently'. As soon as they left the library, Draco held her right hand, in his left hand, and they started to walk. They passed Neville, and somehow they got into a conversation of how horrible Draco was back in their first year.  
  
"I thought you were evil. You actually enjoyed bullying Neville."  
  
"Yeah, well, I thought you were bossy, domineering, and too clever for your own good." At this point, Draco felt the Dark Mark burning again, on his wrist. His wrist brushed against Hermione's, burning her a little too, and she twisted his hand round, revealing the black skull and serpent on the underside of his wrist.  
  
"Strange." She murmured, staring at it.  
  
"What's up?" said Draco, wondering what was going on.  
  
"This mark..." she said softly. "It's so strange. I mean, it brought us together, but it could pull us apart. And last year you seemed so horrible, but since you joined the evil side, you've become kinder, nicer. It's very strange."  
  
"No." Draco shook his head. "I haven't changed at all, you just know me better." He knew this wasn't true. She was right, he had changed. He was please with this, or rather, the nice side of him was. The other part of him, which had gradually shrunk since he accepted the mark, was quite ashamed of himself for liking Hermione, a muggle-born. That was another thing. Even in his head now, he thought 'muggle born' not 'mudblood'.  
  
"Have you got to go now." Said Hermione nervously, looking around to see if anyone was around.  
  
"No." A lot of Death Eaters are punished or tortured if they don't turn up to meetings, but they make allowances for me. They know it's impossible for me to get away from here without being noticed, so I only have to attend during holidays. Roll on Christmas-NOT."  
  
"Why do people join him, if he hurts them?"  
  
"I don't know really. Mostly because they're afraid of him. If he wants supporters, and people refuse to join him, they generally get killed. And at least after you've been tortured, you are still alive, but if you get killed, that's it." He sighed.  
  
"I wouldn't join him, if he threatened to kill me." Said Hermione.  
  
"Of course not. You're a Gryffindor, you have to be all noble and die trying to sort everything out." Draco rolled his eyes "I doubt you'll get that choice. Voldemort doesn't give muggle borns a chance. He doesn't think your kind are fit to do magic at all, let alone as one of his followers. You'd just get killed." For a moment he looked sad. "I hope I'm not making things more dangerous for you."  
  
"I don't think so." She said. "I mean, being with you can't be much more dangerous than being one of Harry's best friends."  
  
The noise of footsteps came down the corridor, loud and heavy. Draco kissed Hermione on the cheek, and walked off quickly. She walked in the opposite direction, and almost collided with Vincent Crabbe. 


End file.
